A Variety column pushes back against social media criticisms calling Timothée Chalamet's Marty Mauser in Josh Safdie's 'Marty Supreme' unlikable, praising the flawed protagonist as a compelling scoundrel. The piece celebrates Chalamet's charisma and contrasts modern detractors with historical cinematic antiheroes.
In a January 3, 2026, Variety column, the author champions the protagonist of 'Marty Supreme'—Marty Mauser, a ruthless Ping-Pong prodigy from New York's Lower East Side played by Timothée Chalamet—as likable precisely because he is a scoundrel. Chalamet, dubbed 'the most charismatic movie star of his generation,' infuses the role with a 'come-hither smirk,' vibrant eyes, and relentless motormouth, rendering Marty's sociopathic traits—lying, cheating, stealing, gambling, and neglecting loved ones—endearingly ambitious.
Building on the film's exuberant energy previously noted in reviews, the column highlights Ping-Pong sequences as 'existential ballets' surpassing typical sports drama thrills. Marty endures abuse and hustles to escape poverty and compete internationally, dreaming of transcending his roots.
Social media backlash labels Marty 'too selfish, too aggro, too entitled, too toxic…too dislikable,' with speculation of an 'Oscar Take-Down Campaign.' The author compares this to 1980s studio executives' likability obsessions or 1930s censorship, favoring 1970s antiheroes and classics like 'The Public Enemy' and 'Scarface.'
Directed by Josh Safdie, 'Marty Supreme' transforms degenerate gambler vibes into an underdog triumph, peaking in Marty's exhausted collapse post-match—a universal quest for self-fulfillment.